Labeling machine having means for orienting an article through a predetermined angle



Nov. 15, 1955 s. T. CARTER 2,723,743

LABELING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR ORIENTING AN ARTICLE THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE Filed May 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l [va e/0.501

Carter Jzdizey Nov. 15, 1955 s. T. CARTER 2,723,743

LABELING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR ORIENTING AN ARTICLE THROUGH A PREDETERMINEJD ANGLE Filed May 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [/0 r/ezziar 6789f. Caviar J a aww United States Patent LABELING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR ORIENTING AN ARTICLE THROUGH A PRE- DETERMINED ANGLE Sidney T. Carter, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing Co., Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 16, 1951, Serial No. 226,661

13 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This invention pertains to labeling machines, and relates more especially to novel mechanism for orienting a bottle through a predetermined angle thereby properly to present a selected portion of its peripheral surface for the reception of a label. In the embodiment herein chosen for illustration, but without limitation, the apparatus is designed to turn a rectangular bottle of the type known in the trade as a space saver through an angle of 90 so as to present its narrow face for the reception of the label.

Bottles of the space saver type are substantially rectangular in horizontal section, with wide faces alternating with relatively narrow faces, .and the labels are applied to the narrow faces so that more bottles may be placed on a given length of display shelf with their labels showing than were the labels affixed to wider faces.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of means applicable to labeling machines of the so-called straightaway type, for example, a machine of the type illustrated in the patent to Holm, No. 2,026,172, December 31, 1935, whereby bottles of the space saver type may be turned through an angle of 90 as they are being advanced toward the label-applying station and held in the position to which they have been oriented while the label is being applied. A further object is to provide bottle-orienting means of simple, inexpensive and durable type which is operative accurately to orient the bottle. A further object is to provide orienting means which occupies but little space and which is applicable to existing machines without substantial modification of other parts of the mechanism and without interference with the usual cycle of operation. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a labeling machine of the straightaway type, showing the bottle-turning apparatus of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, more or less diagrammatic, vertical section with parts omitted and to larger scale on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion of the bottle-supporting track and showing the bottle-turning elements of the present invention in the position which they occupy at the initiation of the turning operation;

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 but showing the bottle-turning elements as they appear at the completion of the turning operation;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a carrier for one set of the bottle-turning elements;

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wide and narrow vertical faces, are delivered to the machine by a conveyor 10, here shown as comprising endless, parallel chains carrying a series of supporting plates on which the bottles stand, the bottles being confined as they advance, between stationary guide rails 11. The conveyor chains are spaced apart so that at the delivery end of the conveyor the transfer slide of the labeling machine may enter between them to lift a bottle from the conveyor and deposit it on the parallel guide rails 12 of the labeling machine. Just before the bottles reach the delivery end of the conveyor 10 they are engaged by a star wheel S of conventional type which spaces the bottles properly for engagement by the head grip of the labeling machine. For practical reasons it is desirable to have the bottles advance along the conveyor 10 with their narrow faces at the front and rear, and when they are lifted by the transfer slide onto the rails 12, they are still in this position of orientation with their wider faces parallel to the center line of the conveyor path defined by the rails 12. However, since the label is to be applied to the narrow face of the bottle, and since the label-applying means is located atone or both sides of the conveyor path defined by the rails 12, it is necessary to orient the bottle through an angle of before the bottle reaches the label-applying mechanism.

The spaced bottles are advanced intermittently along the rails 12 by the usual transfer slide 17 (Fig. 2), and are kept from tipping as they move along toward the label-applying apparatus by the head grips 20 (Fig. 2). The rails 12 are spaced above a table M (Figs. 1 and 2) having marginal stiffening flanges E. This table supports the labeling mechanism and other devices, including the orienting mechanism of the present invention.

As the bottles are delivered one-by-one by the conveyor 10 they enter the centering station C (conventional in machines of this type) where the head grip 20 is temporarily raised and where fork members P and P approach the bottle from opposite sides' and accurately center it with reference to the head grip, and so that the wider faces of the bottle are accurately parallel to the center line of the conveyor path defined by the rails 12. The head grip then descends onto the top of the bottle and the head grip and transfer rail together advance the bottle to the orienting station T.

At the orienting station, the table M carries stationary upright supports 21 and 21 (Fig. 2) located at the front and rear of the rails 12, respectively, each of these supports having a horizontal guideway for a slide 22 and 23, respectively. Pins 24 and 24 project laterally from the respective slides, and to each pin is pivotally secured one end of a connecting rod 26 and 27, respectively. Preferably these rods are of adjustable length. The opposite ends of these rods 26 and 27 are pivotally connected to the long upstanding arms 28 and 29 (Fig. 2) of hell crank levers pivotally supported on studs 30 and 31, respectively, projecting from stationary brackets 32 and 33, respectively, fixed to the underside of the table M. Each bell crank lever has a short arm 34 and 35, respectively, provided at its upper end with a cam follower roll 36 and 37, respectively. These rolls engage the peripheral edges of two cams 38 and 39 which are keyed to a shaft 25 which turns in bearings in brackets 41 extending down from the underside of the table M. This shaft 25 may be the main shaft which drives the labeling and associated mechanisms. The cams 38 and 39 are so designed that, as the shaft 25 rotates, the slides 22 and 23 are moved simultaneously so as to approach and recede from each other at the same speed.

To the inner or proximate ends of the slides 22 and 23 brackets 42 and 43 (Figs. 2, S and 6) are fixed. Each of these brackets comprises a vertical web portion 44 having a screw-threaded bore, the web being shaped at one side (Fig. to provide a recess 46 for the reception of the end of the corresponding slide. The end of the slide is forked and receives a bolt which engages the screw-threaded bore 45, thereby adjustably to secure the bracket to the slide. Each bracket also comprises vertically spaced, elongate upper and lower horizontal flanges 47 and 48. Each of these flanges has therein screwthreaded bores 49 near each end. These bores receive bolts which attach the orienting forks (hereafter described) to the upper and lower flanges of each bracket. To the bracket 42, the upper and lower forks 50 and 50 (Fig. 2) are fixed, and to the bracket 43 the upper and lower forks 51 and 51 are fixed. The upper and lower forks of each pair are in horizontal registry with each other. All of these forks (Figs. 3 and 4) are alike, although the works carried by the bracket 42 are reversed as respects the forks carried by the bracket 43. Referring to the fork 50, for example (Fig. 3), it comprises a body portion 52 having holes which receive the bolts whereby the fork is atached to its respective bracket. At its lefthand side (Fig. 3) the fork has an elongate arm 53 having an inclined cam surface 54 at its free end. The shorter arm 55 projects from the other end of the body portion 52, the arms 53 and 55 being spaced apart a distance such that the narrow end of a bottle may be received between them (Fig. 4). Where the arms 53 and 55 join the body portion, inclined corner-contacting surfaces 56 and 57 are provided. As illustrated, these surfaces make angles of 45 with the center line of the conveyor path defined by the rails 12, the dimensions of the parts being such that when the narrow end of a bottle is introduced between the arms 53 and 55, its corners will make pointcontact with the surfaces 56 and 57 only of the fork. The fork 51, as above noted, is exactly like the fork 50 except that it is reversed in position so that its long arm 53 is at the right-hand side while its short arm 55 is at the left, as seen in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the machine, the cams 38 and 39 are so adjusted that the orienting forks will be fully retracted (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) as the bottle is advanced into the orienting station. As the transfer slide ceases to advance (so as to leave the bottle dwelling at the transfer station while resting on the tracks 12) the head grip 20 is raised, thus permitting the bottle to be turned freely. The rotation of the cams 38 and 39 now advances the orienting forks 50 and 51 toward each other, and as they advance the cam surfaces 54 and 54 of the opposed forks engage diagonally opposite the corners of the bottle B, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3, and as the slides 22 and 23 continue to advance toward each other, the bottle is turned through an angle of approximately 90 until it occupies substantially the position shown in Fig. 4. The final advance movement of the forks brings the contact surfaces 56, 57, 56 57 into engagement with the four corners of the bottle and thus accurately positions it with its narrow faces parallel to the center line of the conveyor path. While the bottle is thus held and before the slides retract, the head grip 20 moves down into contact with the top of the bottle and thus holds the bottle firmly in this position so that it can not rotate as the slides 22 and 23 are retracted and as the bottle is next advanced by the simultaneous operation of the transfer slide and head grip. While the bottle is held by the head grip, it is advanced to the labeling station L (Fig. 1) where it receives the label and is then further advanced toward the wipers W where the label is wiped down, and then continues to be advanced to the delivery end D of the labeling machine where it is desposited on a conveyor 16.

From the above description it will be evident that the orienting mechanism of the present invention is applicable to conventional straightaway labeling machines without substantial modification of the existing mechanism. Since this orienting mechanism is designed for use with rectangular bottles, it may conveniently be arranged to displace the so-called spotting mechanism employed in machines which apply labels to round bottles, such a spotting mechanism being illustrated, for example, in the patent to Essen, No. 2,222,503, November 19, 1940.

By the provision of the corner-contacting elements 56, 57, etc., the bottle is oriented very accurately so that when it reaches the label-applying mechanism its narrow face is properly centered to receive the label and there is no danger that the label will be unevenly applied.

While, as illustrated, there is an upper and lower orienting fork at each side of the conveyor path, it is contemplated that but a single fork at front and rear may be sufiicient for the purpose, particularly if the bottle be a short bottle, and it is further contemplated that the number of forks at each side may be increased, if desired, especially if the bottle be unusually tall.

Preferably the forks are of some non-metallic material, such, for example, as formica, indurated fiber, or other material which will not scratch or otherwise damage the surface of the bottle and which does not have sufiieient frictional characteristics to interfere with the desired cam action between the fork and the surface of the bottle.

While the forks are here shown as carried by horizontally movable slides, it is obvious that they may be supported and moved in any other equivalent way whereby the desired results are obtained, and while the invention has here been illustrated in one embodiment, it is to be understood that it is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims. Y

I claim:

1. In combination in a labeling machine of the kind wherein rigid articles, each generally rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow vertical faces, move in succession intermittently along a rectilinear path, and wherein the articles are delivered to said path with the wider faces of each article substantially parallel to said path, fixed supporting rails on which the articles rest as they move along said path and clamping means operative to prevent each article from turning while the article is moving but which completely releases the article so that it is free to turn in an interval between successive forward movements of the article, and means for orienting each article during a period in which its forward movement is arrested and while it has been freed to turn, said orienting means comprising elements arranged at opposite sides of said path, and means for moving said orienting elements toward each other simultaneously and into operative engagement with the article thereby to turn the article through an angle of approximately and means for holding each article in oriented position until it is again engaged by the clamping means.

2. In combination in a labeling machine of the class described, having means for advancing polygonal articles along a predetermined rectilinear path, article-orienting elements arranged at opposite sides of said path, each of said elements having a cam surface engageable with a corner of the article thereby to turn the latter means for holding the article in oriented position, and means for moving said orienting elements toward each other simultaneously whereby said cam surfaces, by contact with the article, turn the latter through a predetermined angle.

3. In combination in a labeling machine of the class described, having means for advancing polygonal articles along a predetermined rectilinear path, article-orienting elements arranged at opposite sides of said path, each of said elements being a fork having arms spaced apart to admit one of the articles between them, one arm of each fork being longer than the other and having a cam surface at its end, each arm of the fork having article engaging means operative to hold the article in oriented position, said cam surface being operative by engagement with a corner of the article, to turn the latter, and means for moving the forks toward each other simultaneously thereby to turn the article through a predetermined angle.

4. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, means for orienting each article so that its narrow faces are parallel to the center line of the path, said orienting means comprising camming elements operative to engage diagonally opposite corners of the article and to apply turning force to the article, and means for moving said camming elements simultaneously toward each other and into operative engagement with the article.

5. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, means for orienting an article so that its narrow faces are parallel to the center line of the conveyor path, said orienting means comprising a pair of orienting forks disposed respectively at opposite sides of the path, each fork comprising a pair of arms spaced to receive the narrow dimension of the article between them, one arm of each fork having a cam surface, and means for moving said forks toward each other simultaneously thereby operatively to engage their cam surfaces with diagonally spaced corners of the article;

6. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, means for orienting an article so that its narrow faces are parallel to the center line of the conveyor path, said orienting means comprising a pair of orienting forks each having an arm provided with a cam surface at its end, and means for moving the forks toward each other simultaneously, said fork arms being so arranged that, as the forks approach the center line of the conveyor path, their cam surfaces engage diagonally opposite corners of the article and turn the latter through approximately 90, the inner, opposite faces of said two arms being in parallel planes spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the Width of the narrow faces of the article.

7. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow vertical faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path and with its center of symmetry in the vertical plane of said path, means operative by engagement with diagonally opposite corners of the article, for turning the article, while maintaining its center of symmetry in the vertical plane of the center line of said path, through an angle of approximately 90, and means engageable with corners of the article, for accurately positioning the article after it has been so oriented so that its narrow faces are parallel to the center line of the conveyor path.

8. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow substantially vertical faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, cam means engageable with two diagonally opposite corners of such an article for turning the article about a vertical axis in the vertical plane of the center line of said path through an angle of approximately 90 and means engageable simultaneously with the four corners of the article, after it has been so turned, for accurately positioning the article with its narrow faces parallel to the center line of the conveyor path.

9. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternate wide and narrow faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, means operative to orient the article through an angle of approximately and means providing corner-contacting surfaces each inclined at an angle at 45 to the center line of the conveyor path and which are operative, by engagement with the four corners of an article which has been so oriented, accurately to position the article with its narrow faces parallel to the center line of the conveyor path.

10. In combination in a labeling machine having means for advancing articles, rectangular in horizontal section and having alternating wide and narrow faces, along a substantially rectilinear path with their wide faces parallel to the center line of the path, a pair of orienting forks each comprising a pair of spaced arms, one arm of each fork being longer than the other and having a cam surface near its free end, each fork having corner-contacting surfaces each making an angle of 45 with the center line of the conveyor path, and means for moving the forks toward each other simultaneously whereby the long arms of the forks, by contact with diagonally opposite corners of the article, turn the latter through an angle of approximately 90, the corner-contacting surfaces of the forks engaging the four corners of the article which has been so oriented thereby accurately to position the article with its narrow faces parallel to the center line of the conveyor path.

11. In combination in a labeling machine of the straightaway type having means for intermittently advancing articles of polygonal section along a predetermined path, a pair of horizontally movable slides one at each side respectively of said path and which are movable perpendicularly to the center line of said path, cam means for moving said slides toward and from each other simultaneously, and an article-orienting fork carried by each slide, and means carried by each slide for engaging adjacent corners of the article, after it has been oriented, thereby to hold it in oriented position.

12. In combination in a labeling machine of the straightaway type having means for intermittently advancing articles of rectangular section along a predetermined path, a pair of horizontally movable slides one at each side respectively of said path and which are movable perpendicularly to the center line of said path, an article-orienting fork carried by each side, each fork having an article-turning element and corner-contacting elements, and cam actuated levers operative to move the slides simultaneously toward and from the center line of the conveyor path.

13. In combination in a labeling machine of the straightaway type having means for intermittently advancing articles of rectangular section, having alternating wide and narrow faces, along a predetermined path, a pair of horizontally movable slides one at each side respectively of said path and which are movable perpendicularly to the center line of said path, means carried by the slides for orienting the article through an angle of approximately 90, and means carried by the slides for accurately positioning the article after it has been oriented thereby to place its narrow faces in accurately parallel relation to the center line of the conveyor path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,876,066 Logan Sept. 6, 1932 2,254,595 Carroll Sept. 2, 1941 2,525,132 Herts Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 479,675 Germany July 20, 1929 

